CFS3 further expansion

[bwchaney14]

Subject asks the question. Falcon 4 which I still play has a new expansion called BMS with new versions and theaters available. CFS 2 is still improving with new campaigns still being developed. My question what is happening to CFS3? Is there an ETO 1.6 or campaigns to Rising Sun or PTO or campaigns to MAW :encouragement:? Just wondering Brian

[sixstrings5859]

There are some new aircraft in the works for CFS3 but that is all i've heard about.There is a new CFS3 based sim coming out fairly soon called Wings Over The Reich by OBD . It has been said that it will be very good. WOTR will be payware but if WOFF is any indication it will be worth it. Waiting with baited breath. Possibility out later this year. I love Falcon 4.0 BMS and Flaming Cliffs also. Mainly been into Il-2 1946 VP modpack and BAT lately and am flying in CFS3 less as time goes by. In BAT you can fly WWI to modern jets all in one sim. Il-2 '46 is progressing rapidly now with a lot of interest at the moment. You can find out more at M4T and SAS1946 websites. Hope this helps. Still enjoy CFS3 and this is the best place to learn all about it. Regards,Scott

[lgoncalv]

Indeed CFS 3 is gradually being replaced by other flight sims in the heart of the players. I still remember playing stuff like Microprose F 117 and BoM 1942 and sooner or later this would happen with CFS3. And IL2 BaT seems to be unbeatable in every regards, theaters, skins, eras, everything. Although CFS3 is still the best choice for a WW2 European map and it is possible to fly from Dover to the north of Italy in a single mission if you want - in real time if you´re are mad enough to - something that no flight sim at all can deliver still today. Wo t Reich will eventually become the real CFS 3 successor OBD guys are awesome in their job and Woff proved it - no mistakes.

[Daiwilletti]

In terms of a campaign for MAW, I have a working campaign starting in Sicily in august 1943. However, I have made so many tweaks to MAW to get it running smoothly that it is not worth releasing the campaign file on its own. What I have been toying with is a slimmed down, stand-alone version of MAW to enable combat in late 1943. Releasing something like that is problematic, as it probably contravenes the original terms of use for MAW 1.31, not too sure if I can ever release it.

There are some nice models for the later stages of the MAW theatre (think latest Spit VII - VIII package, Early Typhoons package, Beaufort package, Fulmar package, Kittyhawks, etc etc) that are crying out for use in the toolbox, but MAW in it's current form with African skins for vehicles and aircraft, is only set up for around 1940-41 - especially the spawn sets.

Once I have it working reliably, I will put the question out as there are a few of the original MAW team around, to see if they'd mind a small stand-alone release for 1943 Sicily-Italy campaign.

[sixstrings5859]

That would be a great add on for MAW. Would be very interested in such a release.

[lgoncalv]

In terms of a campaign for MAW, I have a working campaign starting in Sicily in august 1943. However, I have made so many tweaks to MAW to get it running smoothly that it is not worth releasing the campaign file on its own. What I have been toying with is a slimmed down, stand-alone version of MAW to enable combat in late 1943. Releasing something like that is problematic, as it probably contravenes the original terms of use for MAW 1.31, not too sure if I can ever release it.

There are some nice models for the later stages of the MAW theatre (think latest Spit VII - VIII package, Early Typhoons package, Beaufort package, Fulmar package, Kittyhawks, etc etc) that are crying out for use in the toolbox, but MAW in it's current form with African skins for vehicles and aircraft, is only set up for around 1940-41 - especially the spawn sets.

Once I have it working reliably, I will put the question out as there are a few of the original MAW team around, to see if they'd mind a small stand-alone release for 1943 Sicily-Italy campaign.

Seems great, those are wonder full news. MAW was never completed with a "Chapter two" and your release could very well fix it.

[rocketred]

MAW be wonderful its works great for me , with addons and pissing around with shaders and all clouds ,,,,,,etc......... also once this new pay version out ,,,, they talk about . will the battle of britain be part of or separate for advanced purchase...cfs3

[Threedp]

I'm just waiting on pins & needles for the beautiful Manchester we've been seeing in-game screenshots of since at least mid-July! :greenbounce:

Come to think of it, what ever happened to the Hampden? If I recall correctly, it was in game and close, but that was ages ago.

Then there's the better Stirling in the works too.

Can you tell I'm an RAF Bomber Command guy?

[sixstrings5859]

Love Pat Pattle's BoB expansion and been waiting on a updated version in the works for a while now.Hopefully will see it released with a bunch of missions also. Right now enjoying CFS3 ETO-BoB and have many missions for it there.Have BoB II WOV and IL-2 '46 BAT to cover the BoB also. The most interesting part of WW II to me along with the Eastern Front. IL-2 has it covered in spades in modded form but CFS3 just has something that keeps me hooked. Thankful for all the expansions of CFS3 and is difficult to decide which one to play.Regards,Scott

[popsaka]

Very best of luck on your new MAW project! I for one am on the edge of me seat...
Seems a lot of the best ideas come from you blokes in NZ :applause:

[ndicki]

Sounds promising, but it very much depends who is doing what and how. If it involves that childish individual from the ETO project who threw a tantrum and destroyed all the land source files, then I'm afraid that as one of the last surviving Rats, it's a clear and non-negotiable 'No' from me. But if it looks good and is well prepared, why not?

[SixGhost]

Sounds promising, but it very much depends who is doing what and how. If it involves that childish individual from the ETO project who threw a tantrum and destroyed all the land source files, then I'm afraid that as one of the last surviving Rats, it's a clear and non-negotiable 'No' from me. But if it looks good and is well prepared, why not?

"That" individual is the head behind it, Nigel...:monkies:

[hairyspin]

The individual retired from ETO involvement some years ago and has not been heard from in ages, iirc.

[Daiwilletti]

Very best of luck on your new MAW project! I for one am on the edge of me seat...
Seems a lot of the best ideas come from you blokes in NZ :applause:

Hi Popsaka,

I presume you are referring to the MAW 1943 stand-alone that I am working on? As an update, I have made progress and it is more reliable now. The odd thing that stymies me is that ship formations (both ground.spawn originated and ship.spawns originated) sometimes are dead in the water with guns inactive. There is nothing worse than teeing up your wingmen to attack a cruiser formation (always a white-knuckle affair) and then discover that nothing shoots back! For quite a while all ship formations were inactive - now it happens randomly.

If I can get everything running reliably, I will start making enquiries about whether the stand-alone can be released.

As for the later posts from Ndicki and SixGhost, I must admit to being lost - can anyone shed some light on what is being talked about, and the relevance to this thread?

[hairyspin]

It's an old unhappy tale, but the person referred to has left CFS circles years ago, long after some misunderstandings and over-reactions led to the source files for MAW being trashed by him. Least said, soonest forgotten, since there's no way back now.

If the remaining Desert Rats are happy with the plans to produce a 1943 MAW stand-alone then it's much to be welcomed. Not so many of us remember the enormous work done to produce the original MAW, but that it got done is still a wonder.

[Pat Pattle]

Weren't those files on the discs of the late Ed Wilson? They're still around as far as I know as one of the ETO team is custodian.

[hairyspin]

I believe the surviving discs are for ETO, the MAW ones were physically destroyed iirc. I wish I was wrong.

[SixGhost]

I think my apologies are due. In my reply to Nigel's comment I somewhat interpreted he was talking about WOTR.

As a former desert rat, I have absolutely nothing against a MAW update/expansion and you're totally free to use or modify my work, anytime you see fit. I'm sure Nigel will tell you the same. In his defense, when MAW was being produced, we had a couple of destructive people on board we feel better not cross paths again with. That's the reasoning behind "who is doing what" concern. Since all of that happened behind closed doors, I'm taking it at heart to leave it all there from now on.

Daiwiletti, I'm sorry that sounded like it was aimed at you. It was not. I have the utmost respect for you work and will be looking forward to it.

[ndicki]

Well, as it looks clear that the person in question isn't involved, then you certainly have my blessing, and if there's anything of mine you'd like to use, or anything you think I could do to help, let me know!

I've already got a shedload of Spitfires you might like... Not to mention Kittyhawks and a soon-to-be-released Maryland that will replace the current one.

[Bravo/4]

Yes, I too would have no problem seeing the later MAW aircraft in use, in the correct theatre, all my work would be available!

[popsaka]

This is wonderful...
I, for one, never tire of the North African theatre and what is possible with it's great map :redfire:

( Now get a hold of yerself, pops... :engel016: )

[Daiwilletti]

Thanks very much for your expressions of support, chaps. There are so many new aircraft suitable for a later chapter of MAW it would be a crime not to facilitate their use in the Mediterranian theatre.

I am using a modified version of MAW to support a campaign centered on Sicily in August 1943.

My 1943 install is simply the original instal, simplified down to 5 nationalities (Britain, Britain_FAA, USA, Germany, Italy), with a selection of vehicles and ships to support a campaign based around Sicily in August, after the Allies had taken Sicily. Usually the campaign works quite well. If the Allies are doing well, the campaign moves up the toe of Italy. Some German missions get flown from places like Crete and Corsica, and the terrain is fabulous - parts of the theatre that I have not seen before. Crete is particularly stunning with the choices of landclasses and autogen trees.

The aircraft I have utilised include Fulmar, Barracuda, Martlet, Beauforts, Hudsons, Kittyhawks, Spit VIII, early Typhoons, and MAW skinned 190A4, 109 F4, 109 G2 and G6s skinned by Ndicki.

The campaign works best with a modified stock spawn set. The country.xml is set up for Britain_FAA to be the Allied default spawning nation for ships and aircraft (to take advantage of the Britain_FAA ships). As a readme from the original MAW explains, facilities including airfields and factories tend to spawn with random nationalities for the appropriate Alliance. Hence a full suite of vehicles for each country are needed to populate the facilities.

As mentioned, the main bug is that spawned ship formations are sometimes inert - it happens at random, and when it is the campaign mission objective it is a real immersion killer. The Barracuda is a stable platform for torpedos, and the AI wingmen in Barracudas are usually devasting in torpedo attacks. I use a Ju88 A 14 for the Germans, and the AI seem to fly it pretty well in torpedo attacks.

If it is possible to "unpack" the spawn selector to activate the 1942 and 1943 aspects, I could also set up spawn sets for Tunisia 1942 and Italy 1943. Does anyone know if this is possible?

[sdsbolt]

You are welcome to use any of my stuff. good luck!

[SixGhost]

If it is possible to "unpack" the spawn selector to activate the 1942 and 1943 aspects, I could also set up spawn sets for Tunisia 1942 and Italy 1943. Does anyone know if this is possible?

You mean the little spawn switcher program? iirc it was built by Alessandro Biagi (alx). Might be worth to try and contact him. You can find the address here, under contacts: www.italianwings.it

[Daiwilletti]

Thanks, SixGhost, I will contact him to see if he has an older .bat version or somesuch.

[ndicki]

You can have my new Spitfire IXs for MAW if you like. I'll put their release on hold so they can be specific new material for this. The Mk IX was heavily used in 1943 in the Med, despite the introduction of the Mk VIII, so having both would be right.

Also if you need specific squadrons - ie, skins - for Spitfire IXs and Bf109Gs, let me know. I can also do Bostons and Marauders to order!

[greycap.raf]

My P-40F/L series is also available, more skins can be made if necessary.

[Daiwilletti]

Wow, what can I say? It is very exciting and gratifying to see the wonderful aircraft being offered for this project. With the blessing of Ndicki, Bravo/4, sdsbolt, and greycap.raf, the initial set of 1943 era aircraft will be impressive.

I am a bit worried about managing expectations, however. This will be a bare bones, functional stand-alone for the 1943 era of the Mediterranian Theatre. I will struggle to even get a good looking splash screen (though I will give it a go), let alone UI music!

And the frustration of inert ship formations continues. Last week about 50% of formations were inactive, this week its more like 80% :dizzy:.

Some questions - who worked on ships which need permissions? Some were GC, but there are a host of Italian ships, one or two would be good to co-opt, like Zara. It would be a feasible scanario for the Nazis to commandeer some Italian Navy vessels.

Ditto for vehicles - the Grants probably never made it to Italy but what about Flakvierlings, etc? Would permissions be required for some of the "bespoke" vehicles?

[SixGhost]

Italian ships were courtesy of Corrado, he's a member here!:wavey: BTW, don't forget Italian planes, in '43 Regia Aeronautica saw a lot of action until the armistice. Macchi 202/205, G.55 and Re.2005 were all used in defense of the peninsula against allied bombings. Too bad we don't have a Re.2002, that would have been the icing on the cake.

[gecko]

And too bad the G.55 didn't quite get finished, probably my favorite Italian aircraft. On the other hand, there's now a Ba.65, or had those phased out or been used up by that point?

[Cuttles]

All sounds very exciting! Am incredulous and sad that someone has done that to cfs3 files...I'd rather put them in an NBC proof bunker!! Ecouragement to all.

[SixGhost]

And too bad the G.55 didn't quite get finished, probably my favorite Italian aircraft. On the other hand, there's now a Ba.65, or had those phased out or been used up by that point?

Yeah, I still hate myself for not adopting the source files when I had the chance to. Ba.65's were less than mediocre planes, not to mention butt ugly. I think they were all retired from active service by the first half of '41 (too late still).

[NachtPiloten]

don't forget these (A6 & A17 Ju88)

http://www.beauscfs3.leaveningonline.com/html/luftwaffe.html

[sixstrings5859]

Haven't played MAW in a while. Have so many combat flight sims it's hard to play them all. MAW is a great one and i'll give it a whirl again. IL-2 '46 is currently taking up most of my time now,(5 installs),and while it is great CFS3 still is interesting to me.Have 9 installs of CFS3 and all preform flawlessly and are very immersive. Some things you can do with CFS3 you can't do in others and vice versa. Any news on a updated version of Pat Pattle's CFS3-BoB expansion ? My favorite CFS3 install along with the ETO expansion. Been waiting for quite some time on this one.Any news?Have a pre-release version and it's great . Just need more missions for it to make it the best expansion for CFS3! Regards,Scott

[Daiwilletti]

don't forget these (A6 & A17 Ju88)

http://www.beauscfs3.leaveningonline.com/html/luftwaffe.html

Aha, and there I was, using the A14! Thanks I will check these out.

[sixstrings5859]

Hope all gets sorted out with MAW 1943 . Would be a great addition to CFS3. Some say the BoB is too narrow in scope but i find it a very interesting part of WWII. Enjoy Just Flight's BoB,ETO-BoB and Pat's BoB very interesting along with BoB II WoV .

[Daiwilletti]

Hope all gets sorted out with MAW 1943 . Would be a great addition to CFS3. Some say the BoB is too narrow in scope but i find it a very interesting part of WWII. Enjoy Just Flight's BoB,ETO-BoB and Pat's BoB very interesting along with BoB II WoV .

Hi sixstrings5859,

I totally agree, the 1943 era for the Mediterranean theatre can hold attention for quite a while! And now there are a host of new aircraft, which most if not all of the model makers have very kindly allowed to be incorporated into a stand alone package, as the posts above attest. I have been flying in this era of MAW for most of the year and still find it engaging, despite the frustrations of trying to get the package to run smoothly.

As a progress update, the shell explosion artifacts problem has been solved. However the ship formations spawned in a campaign mission still do not perform consistently - sometimes they sit dead in the water and do not fire upon enemy aircraft.

And real life has intruded for a bit - I have developed cellulitis of the knee which is going to take a week or two to come right. Most annoying when there is so much goodwill expressed towards preparing this stand alone era-specific version of MAW.

[sixstrings5859]

Sorry about your real-time problems and hope you will mend soon. MAW 1943 has much to be appreciated .Regards,Scott